Kukla's Korner Hockey

Nashville, Tenn. (February 20, 2012) – The only General Manager in franchise history and the only one to be a finalist for the NHL GM of the Year Award in each of the last two seasons, David Poile, has been awarded a contract through the 2014-15 season, announced Predators’ Chairman Tom Cigarran today. Poile also announced an extension of Assistant General Manager Paul Fenton.

“Today’s announcement is further recognition by the Predators’ ownership group of the outstanding job David has done as President of Hockey Operations since the franchise’s inception,” Cigarran said. “The consistent success of the Predators on the ice is directly attributed to his ability to assemble and lead a team of management, coaches, scouts and administrators who continually identify, draft, develop and motive an exceptional group of experienced and young players. The ownership group believes that under his leadership, the Nashville Predators will soon achieve its goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”

I don’t think Poile is some kind of horrible GM, but he’d sure be nothing without Trotz.

Poile regularly makes head-scratching decisions, and I think the credit in making them work (sometimes… other times there is simply no saving them at all, sometimes a stinker is just a stinker) goes to Trotz, not Poile.

But whatever. Nashville can have another decade or two of bargain bin hockey at its finest I guess, until the fans get sick of it all and the team moves away.